BoomApp launches AR system for video for consumers to shop through TV programs
Smartphones are becoming our TV-watching companion. People are using their second screens to search for info about what they are watching. This 'I-want-to-know' behaviour shows that searching for information -- even in a TV advert -- is becoming the norm.
Smartphone use is forecast to reach 4.77 billion users by 2017, so helping users find the content they want is becoming more and more important.
UK B2B start-up boomApp has created video recognition software that can search and find a video within a database of millions in less than five seconds.
Its patented video recognition browser or app-based technology enables Augmented Reality (AR) functionalities on traditional videos.
Its proprietary technology means that brands can directly connect their TV ads to specific online content. Users can access multimedia and branded campaigns by scanning the advert they are watching in real time.
Brands can then gain insights from consumers by connecting their TV adverts to specific online content through a scan.
Users can be redirected online to obtain more information about the product they have seen, purchase it, request a sample, enter surveys, or contests.
The technology will enable advertising agencies and AR companies to enable interaction between their product and the consumer.
The company successfully completed its first funding round led by Portugal Ventures enabling them to launch in late 2015.
AR has been tested on TV viewers in the past. Waitrose used the Blippar AR app in their Christmas campaign back in 2011. Consumers have been slow to adopt this type of technology so far.
João da Maia Jorge, co-founder and CEO of boomApp said, "Video is the future of online and offline content; by offering brands the tools to create micro-moments of instant engagement with their customers, our technology leads to consistently and repeatedly more engaging interactions.
The current ecosystem feels like the smartphone market before the iPhone. The opportunities are immense and we are extremely proud to be working with global brands at the forefront of the AR revolution."
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